Bread Crumbs
by jeuxmungandr
Summary: Underland is finally free from the red queen and her knave, but at a great personal cost to Alice.  When she is called back, Alice won't be the first Kingsley who falls down the rabbit hole for the third time.  Full summary inside. SxAxH
1. Chapter 1: Blue Caterpillar

**Author Note: **Ever have those moments when you are sitting in bed, can't sleep, start to shiver and perspire, than all of a sudden, have some crappy story dawn on you that you totally don't want to lose? Well… here we are! Written to sold semi-perfection at 2:00 AM in the morning. Enjoy my newest Halice/Stalice story. Tee-hee! —taah-tahh! (in case some of you may confused and even frightened by this crazy author in her present state just know that she just took her ambien (prescribed by a trained and competent neurologist, thank you very much) while listening to Neuroticfish's adaptation of "They're Coming to Take Me Away. (Ha-Ha!)" Point blank-cut the freak some slack.

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**Full Plot:**_Wonderland is once more free from tyranny of the now exiled queen and her knave, but at a great personal cost to Alice who walks away from her adventure with child. Eight years later, she is called back, but Alice won't be the first Kingsley who falls through the rabbit hole a second time… Back in Under-land, alone, Alice desperate to find her daughter seeks the help of her band of familiar friends and chums. Together, they must find her daughter before she unwittingly falls deeper into a plot none of them could have possibly predicted.

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_

**Pairings:**

Hatter/Alice  
Stayne/Alice

And maybe more along the way.

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**Rating: **PG13 or T for implications of sex (lime), and adventure/fantasy warfare.

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Bread Crumbs  
By Imperfect Paradise

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_Hurry back across the path, before they vanish away…_

_Or else in be lured to a strange little house, where you will take indefinite stay._

~.-.~

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**Chapter 1**  
Blue Caterpillar

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_Disgraceful…_

_-that little harlot._

…_and she believes herself to be do noble—but she's nothing but a little tramp._

_That child of hers looks no good either. _

_That little girl—she has almost a monstrous visage to her._

_Perfectly dreadful, the both of them._

Whilst preceding to the board the latest ship that would allow her to commute to her latest endeavor, Alice Kingsley held herself up as best she could, careful not to let the words of the London townsfolk pierce her in any unsavory way—

—While carefully holding within her arms, that which others had commonly and shamelessly referred to as a burden, a travesty, a sin against the way things should be, that took the form of a small girl that in Alice's mind the phrase 'miracle' would have come off as quite short in describing her. Abigail Kingsley or "Abby" almost two full years now and lay sound asleep within her mother's arms, her head resting on Alice's shoulder and her fingers tangled in her golden curly locks. Alice smiled broadly, and kissed the child on her own locks, that were starting to develop and practically conquer the toddler's head, as she nestled deeper into her mother's comforting embrace.

Her mother had insisted on leaving the child at home with her (she may be stern, but she insisted she would be a dutiful grand mother), but Alice would not due such a thing. Though Helen Kingsley would have done her part well (Alice had absolutely no doubt there), there were other elements that Alice could simply not control.

For one, leaving the child near the elements that while didn't effect her personally—to an impressionable youth however, the scandalous gossip and undignified chatter that had practically surrounded her community now a days could strike such a deadly blow to her little daughter. One that Alice never wanted her exposed to.

Second, there was the possibility of being separated from her daughter for indefinite periods of time—the sea and the trade routes that Alice took regular part in was unpredictable at best. She could easily be swept away by the current, held up by pirates or rebels, an accidental canon blast or an unintentional hit of a nearby reef could easily make travel impossible. She already couldn't bare a week without her child… how was being stranded, kidnapped or killed going to help her family's situation?

But then there was the other part that worried her above all else.

~.-.~

_I'm falling… down a dark hole…_

~.-.~

She had woken up several times to hear her daughter crying. All within the late hours of the night. Placing on a robe, and slippers, she rushed for the nursery and leaned over the crib, bringing Abby into her arms.

~.-.~

_Then I see strange creatures…_

_What kind of creatures?_

~.-.~

She did the usual routine… She checked for a fever, a rash or hives of some sort, a possible letting of gas through the mouth, an upset tummy—anything that could have shown some physical sign of a problem.

But everything time she did this, nothing seemed to come to her attention. Her stomach was working, her forehead was cool, and her bottom did not need to be powdered. Her daughter was perfectly fine.

~.-.~

_There's a dodo bird… a rabbit in a waste coat… a smiling cat…_

_I didn't know cats could smile._

_Neither could I._

~.-.~

The fourth time this happened her mother accompanied her to the infant's cradle while, clutching a lit candle in her hand, observing the baby. Though she too was concerned at first, like her daughter, she too found nothing physically wrong with Abby. But as Alice continued to worry, her mother smiled and reassured her daughter. "

"I am sure she is fine, Alice…"

Alice looked at her mother, still concerned, "But Momma, this is fourth night she been crying… what if she's really ill, shouldn't we call a doctor just to be safe?"

Helen should her head and concluded, "Don't be silly—in the late hours like these, with the wind and rain outside, she's probably just had a bad dream of sorts." She then placed a hand on her daughter shoulder and said, "But that's okay, because you are going to sing her a lullaby, and she's going to fall right back asleep in your arms." With that, she snuffed out the candle and walked back to her room, leaving Alice alone with her daughter.

Alice hesitantly and carefully lifted up Abby, and brought her close. Abby's cries had reduced to hiccups and as soon as Alice started humming softly, her tears stilled and she nuzzled into her mother's warmth, falling completely asleep in the process.

Alice smiled, loving her daughter dearly, and moved back over to the cradle to set her back inside, when something blue and quick caught her eye.

~.-.~

_-And there's… a blue caterpillar._

~.-.~

Alice spun around immediately, breaking her daughter's slumber in the process, who on cue started whimpering once more. Alice didn't miss it… a butterfly in a sapphire blue color fluttered right back out the window, and disappeared into the mists of London, Alice watching as it did.

Hearing her daughter's cries, but not yet comforting her, Alice felt her skin grow cold.

_Couldn't be_… she thought. She then looked down at her daughter, whose pale hazel eyes were fresh with new tears and looked deep into them.

Within the eyes she could clear as day a memory that she swore she would never forget again. She saw herself fall down the rabbit hole, saw the land that lay miles below her feet. The land where everything was upside down, where flowers talked like people up here, where animals bore clothes and trinkets and scuttled about a human's life. A Land where people who appeared sane were hardly so, some dangerously not so. The land of wonder, mystery and harmful elements that coincided between each and every one of the pieces that made up of the sum of its parts. She remembered the good times, the bad times, the joyful times, and… that… time…

She started shaking slightly, unintentionally adding to the discomfort of her infant as she remembered that cold pale eye, with raven like locks falling across the pointed scarred face of the man who showed her no mercy of any kind. The arms that trapped her, and his warm breath that leaned as close as it could into her face.

**-.-.-**

**_I like you, Um… I like… -_largeness.**

**-.-.-  
**

As Alice felt herself pale in that memory, one ear piercing sound of her infant eventually brought her back to her senses, and she once more became determined with the comforting of her child. She rocked her within her arms, planting kisses every now and then, until she was able to gently lay her back down and wrap her softly in her wool and silk covered blankets.

She then looked out the window once more, and feared of what was happening. That there could very well be a possibly, that they would be called back to Under-land soon. And if that were to happen… she looked over towards her daughter, now sleeping quietly while bundled her rolled up quilts with a smile on her features.

Breaking away from the memory, Alice nonchalantly boarded the ship, the bumps of the docking ramp waking her daughter, who looked upon the sparkle of the sea before her, and in response, let out a toddler's delighted giggle. Hearing this, a smile formed on Alice's face that not even the worst insult at that time could have turned it into a frown. Laughing slightly, she placed Abby on her shoulders, lifting her up so she could see the world around them. She smiled and said, "What do you think, Abby—isn't it beautiful?"

Her daughter in response let out a squeal of delight, which broadened the smile on Alice's bright features.

_It was okay,_ she thought. _She's with me, will always be with me… we'll have our own adventures, our own lives together and our own little stories to tell._

The fact of the matter was that after the visit from that familiar and now unwanted face, she could no longer allow herself to journey back to Under-land. As much as she missed her friends and allies, she was now needed more than ever before. Abby couldn't not live a joyful life without her, and no tea parties, celebrations and happy reunions could ever pull her away from the care of her daughter. While she would take it upon herself to raise her daughter properly (or, at least by her definition of proper) and rear her for the sake of her happiness.—she would never go back. Not while Abby was with her. It was not because she didn't want her daughter to see the wonder, the magic and beauty of the strange exotic world that hardly anyone knew existed. Not to have adventures unparalleled even to those made by most people who lived above. In fact, under other circumstances, she wouldn't have hesitated to go as far to push her own child down the hole herself and jump right in after her.

But it was another matter entirely. After Absolum's recent appearance, it was clear that Under-land was undergoing something rather unscrupulous once more. But was frightened Alice the most, was the fact that it was calling to both her and her daughter in sync.

She knew one thing. She had to go away, with her daughter, as far as they could go. For as God as her witness, Abby was never going to meet her father, and Alice was never going to look in the eye of Ilosovic Stayne ever again. For if they did… there would be no escape for either of them.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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**Random Note: **Comments for the author! Comments for the author! (walks with a stick in hand and a mug in the other, while walking hunched in a cloak) …(Pauses—then takes it of, shaking her head) Don't get me wrong, I actually respect you guys as dearly as the next fan fiction member and I won't put you through the crap. Repairs might come by sooner or later. (weekend has started for me... so they might be soon- oh the joys of being a college student) Thanks for reading. But seriously, (in regards to my first little desperate act) taking the time to comment this _would_ be very nice. Bye-bye now!


	2. Chapter 2: Sea of Tears

**Author Note:** I am working on the next chapter for Went Galumphing Back. It is my primary objective as of this moment, and should be up soon, but not immediately. Also, I _am_ working on one of my Yu-Gi-Oh fics, (for once) but heaven knows went that is going to be completed. In any case, please bear with me.

_-Imperfect Paradise (Yamiko)  


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Bread Crumbs  
By Imperfect Paradise

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**Chapter 2**  
Sea of Tears

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_8 years later_

"Are you sure about this, my _queen?"_

Hearing her former title spoken with oily cynicism, Iracabeth's fingers literally impaled the supplies she held in her hand, and dropped them into the bowl before any more work could be done. The tall man behind her groaned while running his hands through his raven locks, while the former red queen pointed at him and snapped, "Look what you made me do!"

Ilosovic Stayne, not sure for how much longer he could put up with this, clenched his fist tightly in his worn glove. It had been a full year in Under-land since they were taken from the height of their power. A full year since the Jabberwocky was defeated and a full year since Alice returned home.

_Alice._

His grip tightened, his nails piercing through the leather of his glove. _That little harlot, _he thought bitterly, _How dare she_… _Make a fool out of me?_

His thoughts were interrupted when Iracabeth snapped, "Stayne! Hand me that sea salt!"  
Looking at her skeptically, he muttered something fowl under his breath before tossing the salt into her hand.

There was only one reason why he was cooperating with this hag. _Only_ one. Though he hated her, wanted to kill her, _strangle _her with his bare hands until she ceased to breathe, in truth, they were both driven by a common desire.

That desire was revenge. And unfortunately, and even though he hated to admit it, their chances were exceedingly better if they worked together. For there was _something _beneficial while working with Iracabeth. After all, those courtiers and brown noses were sucking up to her not only to keep there status or lives in check, but also for one fundamental want and that was power. That was why they put up with her silly croquet matches. That was why they purposely adorned themselves with false disfigurements.

_And_ that was why she now had a good thousand warriors on their side, waiting on the outside of their tent ready to go to war with Under land in the name of the so-stated "true" queen (Ilosovic had coughed out the word 'fraud' sometime within her encouragementspeech during one of their rallies some days ago—which luckily for him went unnoticed). Stayne hardly cared whether she won or not. But he had his objective and if it meant working with the hag, it was completely worthwhile for him to do so.

Their goal was the same, but their targets were different. She wanted to take out her hostilities on and destroy the cause of her fall from power. She wanted Alice to return so she could torture her until the moment the champion of Under-land ceased to breathe. If the girl resisted, or failed to lose hope a death could be arranged another way. With her out of the way, she would then seize the crown during Underland's time of mourning for their champion.

Stayne on the other hand, couldn't care less of the girl's fate. But he needed her as well, but for an entirely different purpose.

Here he was, formerly the most powerful warrior in Under-land—an Assassin of caliber and a knight of high-ranking authority—a title that was no longer the case as he suffered defeat, and from the worst possible opponent he could have ever conceived in his darkest fantasies. Victory could have bee his, would have been his, _should _have been his—if not for the single little bobby pin that the orange haired lunatic had randomly wedged into his eye-lid at the very last minute of their confrontation. Screaming in high-pitched pain (something he was debating whether he had actually done afterwards during his exile) as something smashed into his kneecaps. Complete humiliation consumed him as he was knocked backwards on to the ground.

But perhaps the thing that most irritated him… was the fact that the blasted clown never _finished_ the job.

That was why retrieving Alice from above was so important. If he kidnapped her, the hatter would surely hear of her peril, and would not doubt come to rescue her.

And when he did, by god he would _squeeze_ the _life _out of him.

But such a thing couldn't be done alone. If he could—he already be twirling his sword, hilt on the ground, tip covered with blood with Tarrant Hightop's head wedged within the middle of his blade. But he hadn't the skills, nor the knowledge of possibly conjuring the spell to lure Alice back. That was where the bloody big head came in to play.

Before the separation of the two kingdoms, Iracabeth and Mirana were actually the byproduct of the former king of under-land, and an enchantress that eventually became her royal majesty the former queen. And throughout her wisdom, she passed on her knowledge to both of her daughters.

But it wasn't as simple as that.

While Mirana's cranium practically swarmed with the knowledge and producing spell after spell Iracabeth didn't nearly absorb as much as her younger sister had. And while Mirana could create potions and brews with precise and accurate precision, Iracabeth couldn't mince a mushroom. In addition, after living on a golden thrown in an ivory castle throughout her life and after years of be waded on hand and foot by her numerous servants, she was pretty much now incapable of gathering the wood under their feet.

And here she was, a complete alliterate possibly even an_ illiterate_, trying to make sense of the complex and rather wordy spell described in her old spell book given to her by her mother (the tea and frosting stains telling everyone who saw her reading it that the bound material had seen better days).

After a while of pacing, he slapped himself in the face. Who was he kidding? This was _never_ going to work.

Peering over her shoulder, and looking at the recipe himself (while the queen poured the contents generously in) he slowly narrowed his eyes and asked, "You _do_ know the metric amount is for a cup, right?"

Filling a dinner glass to the rim with sea salt she snapped, "Of courser I do! Believe me, Alice will be ours within hours." She then tossed her hair in an aggravated fasion and continued, "Besides, if that twat Mirana can do it—then so can I!"

Beginning to realize that this was a very bad idea, Ilosovic tried to reason with her, "Ira—" (the former queen cast a glare in his direction) "…your _majesty. _ Let's—_be_ honest here; The former queen gave your sister the _advanced _spell-book for a_ reason_—you can't brew potions to save your life.

Iracabeth's lip quivered before she dropped the glass, contents and all into the kettle (Ilosovic staring in horror as the glass melted into the brew) before he wailed in a sobbing voice, "You just wait! I'll get Alice back, she'll lure the hatter here and you'll be _begging_ for forgiveness for doubting me!"

Stayne sat down and buried his head into his hands.

* * *

"I got your h~at! I got your h~at!"

"Give that back you _bastard!"_

The captain's son was smashed against the deck, as a girl with golden curls tackled him, by his shins and slammed him into the weight of the ship, just as Alice looked up from her documents, scorning her daughter, "Abby! For goodness _sake!_ Language, _please!"_

Abigail ignored her mother, clad in boots and an makeshift eye patch as she continued to wrestle with the boy (William Bloom—dressed as a British naval officer), while trying to her retrieve her play-fashioned pirate hat away from his hands while the sailors on the ship laughed heartedly at the (otherwise) endearing scene.

Sitting besides Alice was the captain of the Ship, Captain Bloom, who watched affectionately as the children played roughly. He chuckled and said, "She's your _daughter_ all right. Got that same spunk and spirit you and your father had."

Alice smiled in spite of this, her daughter screaming, "Well Captain, Time to walk the plank!" in the background. Seeing that her daughter's play time was becoming quite rough, she stood up from her chair and said, "Abby—lets have your history lesson now!"

Letting go on William, Abigail Kingsley moaned in disappointment, "But _mother_—"

Alice gave Abby a stern look, before her daughter reluctantly gave in. She then passed by, peeling off her pretend eye-patch and leaving it on the ground, while grumbling, "Stupid book, completely boring and no pictures at all…"

Watching her daughter march forth into their stateroom, Alice shook her head and made a move to follow her, before the captain halted her.

The captain smiled warmly, before turning towards William (who finally dusted himself off) and said, "Will! Go down to the cellar and bring us a kettle. We'll have some tea!"

As William went on his way, Alice shook her head and explained, "I am awfully sorry for the trouble sir. I have told her time and time again about basic manners and all—"

"Oh, don't worry about that at all, dear—" the captain reassured her. He then winked and said, "It builds _character_—I wouldn't deny it for the world!"

Alice smiled, and went back to her documents. The captain then cleared his throat and said, "Although, I must be frank. I am most concerned with is you Miss Kingsley."  
Alice looked at the captain and asked, "Sorry?"

Captain Bloom looked off to starboard, watching as the port came into view before them. He said, "Its been eight years, Miss Kingsley since your have entered the service of the company. I am grateful, as is Lord Ascot and my colleagues alike—and my men, well, they never tire of Abby _and_ her many adventures! I just wanted to say, we will set sail for Paris after Morocco—and I am sure there is a connecting passage to bring you home if you wish—"

Believing she understood the implications of Bloom's words, Alice stared into space and asked in confusion, "I-I don't understand… If I am working so hard and doing such a good job, why do you think I should resign from the company—"

"No Alice."

Alice looked back at the captain, just as William brought forth the steaming kettle. He took the kettle and poured her a cup of tea, before leaning forward, and clarifying. "I am just_ saying_… you should settle down for a while, _with _your daughter. Let her enjoy herself for a year or so without being bound on a ship, heading for a new destination… She doesn't need to travel with you _every _single second of her life.

Alice accepted her cup, staring into the reddish golden liquid. Watching as the remnants of the spices swirled in the water, she thought about her options.

She knew very well was the captain was saying. He wanted her to enjoy their own lives, and not be bound by the weight of the ship. She wished for that too, but was too afraid.

Afraid that Under-Land would find them again and lure her and her daughter back down into its depths. While part of her really wished that they could, to see her friends again, and join them for tea—there were other elements waiting down there that she couldn't control—one in particular—that Alice vowed never to expose Abby too.

Inhaling the smell of cloves and liquorish, she sighed slightly, and murmured a quiet, "I know that," before nonchalantly taking a sip from her cup.

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TO BE CONTINUED

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**Random Note:** Sorry for my use of these OCs. Well, they aren't quite OCs; These two characters William and Captain Bloom are actually fashioned from the motion picture Big Fish, _also _directed by Tim Burton. But this is not a cross-over fiction by any means.


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